PFEW seeks assurances on pensions remedy

6 May 2021

The Federation has written to Home Secretary Priti Patel to seek evidence and clarification that the implementation of the public sector pensions remedy would not cause further discrimination to officers.

The transitional protections introduced as part of the 2015 Police Career Average Revalued Earnings (CARE) Pension Scheme were found to be discriminatory on the grounds of age.

But, crucially, the McCloud/Sargeant ruling found the Government could not justify that the discrimination caused by protecting older members was a proportionate means of achieving its legitimate aim in protecting those closest to retirement.

The Federation is therefore seeking evidence from the Government that it is able to justify any potentially discriminatory impacts of the remedy.

In its response to the remedy consultation, the Federation had raised serious concerns around the impact of the remedy proposals on some groups of members.

It has written directly to the Home Office on a number of other concerns including the taxation implications of the remedy, the position of late joiners to the 1987 pension scheme, and non-club transfers affected during the remedy period. 

It is also discussing the logistics of the implementation of the remedy with the Police Scheme Advisory Board.

Read the letter to the Home Secretary.